


Web of Deception

by ChristineThalassinou1990, Sickmuse23



Series: Adventures in the Old Republic [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends - All Media Types, Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: Dromund Kaas, Dysfunctional Family, F/M, Fake Marriage, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Male-Female Friendship, Meet the Family, Murder, Or something close to that, Sith Juggernaut, Sith Lords, Sith Sex, sith sorcerer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-06-18
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:01:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,947
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChristineThalassinou1990/pseuds/ChristineThalassinou1990, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sickmuse23/pseuds/Sickmuse23
Summary: A more or less innocent prank intended to be played on Lord Zash takes a very serious turn that forces Ahiyah and Fherea to learn how to play the game of the Sith Lords or suffer the consequences.Takes place roughly two months after 'Sith Happens'; it's highly recommended reading that one first.





	1. Chapter 1

_Good riddance, Zash_ , Ahiyah thought to himself, having successfully escaped from the confinement of the tiny room he rented from Lord Zash in the Citadel. He’d just arranged a short meeting with his new Sith friend – no matter how weird it sounded – on HoloNet, so he was more eager than ever to get rid of his master for a while. Out on the dimly illuminated streets of Kaas City, no one bothered to question the Sith about his business. As no one ever would – except for some intrusive Sith Lords. And for that matter, Ahiyah's master was a highly intrusive one.

Passing a few patrolling droids and cloaked figures, he reached the platform where the taxi station was located. Fortunately, transport services on this planet were considered relatively cheap compared to… well, everything else. Having his own speeder would be a so much better option. Only if he could've afford one.

“Damn” he cursed and took a seat on the vehicle. His hand landed on a stain of unidentifiable colour, which felt horribly sticky against his skin. “I do need a raise.”

Having no intentions to wonder about the source of the stain, he pulled back his hood and enjoyed the sobering, cold current against his face.

The Market seemed largely abandoned at this time of the day. Only a few citizens, clad in lavishly ornamented clothing, were wandering around and browsing the goods the yawning sellers could offer at their kiosks. Not long after he'd departed the station, he felt a minor disturbance in the Force. He didn't make a move first, although his fingers were unintentionally tapping the hilt of his lightsaber. Then a rhythmic sound of steps caught his ears, marching with a steady pace towards his direction. But Ahiyah didn't mean to fight. Instead, he turned around and greeted the newcomer with an ear-to-ear smile.

“Look who we have here” Fherea mused, her eyes twinkling with good humour. “My favourite Sorcerer has finally freed himself from the bonds of his cruel mistress. So, where is that... biscuit you spoke of?”

The question gave Ahiyah a good laugh.

“It's called brownie. Best with ice cream.”

“Brownie, then” she waved dismissively.

“Fherea.” Ahiyah eyed at her, pretending a serious expression. “Don't tell me you haven't eaten brownie before.”

“Now that you mention it, I won't.”

Ahiyah shook his head, giggling.

“Then, be my guest.”

 

Fherea smiled back wholeheartedly.

“With pleasure” she said, following Ahiyah to his favourite cookies & sweets seller.

The occupant of the small kiosk was a human female leaning against the metal pillars of the establishment, but it was a twi’lek with green skin who stood at the counter to serve the customers. Contempt filled the female Sith instinctively, but she held her tongue; she knew very well that Ahiyah, as someone who’d spent almost a decade in slavery, had a very different view on the whole alien-topic. As far as Fherea could recall, he’d never been cruel to aliens, especially not for fun.

“What can I get for you, my Lords?” the twi’lek asked, casting her eyes down submissively.

“Two brownies with ice cream, mine with strawberry, hers with… Which ice cream do you like?” Ahiyah turned to his friend, but Fherea shrugged hesitantly.

“You choose. I trust your judgement” she answered.

Ahiyah grinned then turned back to the seller.

“Then hers with Alderaanian chocolate.”

He paid for the sweets, and they walked away from the kiosk, nibbling on their brownies. A few minutes later Fherea sighed contently, wiping her mouth.

“I suggest visiting that place more often” she said, and that was enough of a positive feedback for Ahiyah.

“I support the idea.” As they went on the streets, he tried to make up some nerves to ask her about something important; something big. “Fherea… I need help” he murmured, his face turning almost as red as his dark crimson mess of a hair.

“I’m all ears” she answered, noticing the blush but trying her best to keep a straight face; Ahiyah was unbearably cute sometimes, although, he hated when someone mentioned it to him. When Fherea let it slip once that she thought him cute, his answer was worth everything: “I’m not cute. I’m deadly!” This memory always made her smile.

“Well, I need to get away for a while from Zash… I just… can’t take her anymore. I left her a note that I’m away for a few days on an intensive private training session, but I need a place to go at least for the nights. And I thought… Well, I was hoping that… that you’d let me stay in your guest room…?”

 

“Are you jesting?” Fherea blinked at him as they were pacing around a remote corner, out of the civilians’ earshot. “It’s called guest room for a reason.”

But for his occupied hand, Ahiyah would’ve shown his gratitude with a big, friendly hug.

“Thank you so much” he sighed, relieved. “You are the best. Really.”

Fherea brightened as she was tasting her Alderaanian chocolate, not even noticing the small stain of ice-cream she’d left under her lips. Even though she stroke as an alluring but threatening warrior of the Dark Side, especially when she covered her mouth and chin with the iconic cybernetic mask, she also had her sweet moments. Those reminded Ahiyah of her youth, her innocence, shattered in this early stage of her life. However, he didn’t let this bittersweet thought overwhelm him. Instead, he banished all negative feelings creeping at him and chose to relish in the present.

Now, only one question remained: should he clear her face of the stain or just warn her about it?

“I know” Fherea replied and licked her face gleefully.

So she’d known it was there all along. A sudden rush of disappointment came over the Sorcerer, and he didn’t even know why.

“I just need to pack my things up and… hm… maybe not today. My presence would definitely alert that wench who wouldn’t stop assaulting me with stupid questions. 'Isn’t it remarkably peculiar that you happen to be passing my room, dear apprentice?'” As he mocked Lord Zash on a high-pitched voice, hands tight on his hips, Fherea laughed so hard she almost choked on her brownie. “Ugh. What an insufferable woman. Like I find her attractive or what. Why can’t she face the fact I will never, ever thrust my di…?”

The idea stroke him as fast and unexpected as a Force lightning bolt.

“Don’t stop now” Fherea joked. “It was about to get intriguing.”

“I think I have something on my mind… but…” Ahiyah cleared his throat. “I’m not sure you’ll like it, though.”

 

“I think I’m perfectly capable of deciding what I’d like or not… So don’t be shy, spit it out” Fherea smiled at him reassuringly.

Ahiyah still hesitated for a few moments before he took a deep breath and spoke up again.

“Well, I thought that if Zash indeed wants me to… to fuck her… ugh, even speaking about it hurts… So, if she wants that, then perhaps… perhaps the best way to make her understand my opinion about the question is that… telling her that I’m already taken.”

Fherea just blinked in stunned silence for a while; not that she didn’t understand what the other was implying, it was just… unexpected, to say the least. And a bit scary, to be honest. She’d never had a long lasting relationship with anyone, so even pretending one was a challenge. On the other hand, the thought of that aging bitch Zash wanting to have Ahiyah made her see red, and she would’ve gone very far to protect her friend from that definitely awful fate.

“And how do you imagine this exactly?” she asked, saying neither ‘yes’ nor ‘no’ to the idea yet.

 

Ahiyah looked heavenward and sighed. A deep rumble roared above the looming skyscrapers of Kaas City, heralding the impending storm.

“Actually, I haven't figured it out just yet. But we should retreat to somewhere indoor.”

“Right” Fherea agreed. “The Empire has eyes and ears here anyway. Let's settle in my guest room, shall we?”

While heading back to the parking lot, Ahiyah's mind was racing through their recent conversation. He supposed Fherea might be willing to help, otherwise she wouldn't have offered to visit her apartment. But her deep silence unnerved him. While Fherea was getting her own speeder, Ahiyah rented a vehicle for himself, then both Sith rode to the platform leading to Fherea's apartment.

Upon leaving the elevator, Fherea blocked the other's way to the entrance with an agile step. Startled by her sudden move, Ahiyah almost bumped into her.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Only if it's agreeable to you” Ahiyah answered with a serious look.

“Fantastic” she gave him a lopsided grin and switched the door open. “Come in, I've got a novel idea.”

 

Ahiyah followed her with growing curiosity, but she went to take a hot shower first, and she suggested him doing the same. Winter was nearing on Dromund Kaas, and the weather was getting chillier day by day, so a hot shower indeed sounded really good.

When he was finished, he found a set of sweatpants and long-sleeved T-shirt on his bed; Fherea’s latest gift, most probably. The size was perfect, the colours - black and dark blue - nice, and most importantly, they were very comfortable and warm.

“Thanks for the clothes, I like them” he said, smiling at Fherea when he entered her room after getting permission to do so.

“And you look good in them” she answered, shamelessly staring at him, and it made him blush and hang his head in embarrassment.

He still wasn’t used to the fact that some of the female Sith obviously found him attractive. In Zash’s case, it was creepy and annoying, and he hated it; however, Fherea’s signs of attraction gave him the feel of being appreciated, treated like a valuable human being, and who knew… perhaps being loved as well, and it definitely felt good.

Suddenly, a droid came in with a large plate and left it on the table before leaving again.

“I don’t know about you, but for me, the brownie wasn’t quite enough, so I’ve ordered some normal dinner as well” Fherea said, dropping on one of the chairs at the table. “If you’re hungry too, don’t hold back. It’s enough for both of us.”

“Thanks” he grinned, grateful for the offer; he was indeed pretty hungry.

After they were full, they settled on the large, sinfully comfortable couch that could easily have been a bed with its many pillows and soft blankets.

“So, what’s this novel idea of yours?” Ahiyah asked, curling up and hugging a sympathetic pillow to his chest.

Fherea had to try really hard to fight off the urge to take a picture of him so she could look at it whenever she’d be in a bad mood and would be in need of some cheering up.

“Well… I definitely don’t want you to end up between the claws of that old bitch Zash; but to make her lose the interest in you requires resolute steps. So in accordance with your earlier idea about telling her that you’re already taken… Let’s say you’re betrothed.”

“And to whom?” Ahiyah asked, his lips suddenly becoming dry.

“To me, of course” Fherea said. “I’m a noble, my father is a respected and feared Sith Lord, so not even the Dark Council could have any objection against me claiming you as my consort. So Cavities won’t stand a chance.”

“...‘claiming’ me?” Ahiyah’s voice was strangely flat, and Fherea realised quickly how this could sound to a former slave.

“Not… ‘like that’. Never again ‘like that’.”

They looked at each other in the eyes for a while, and Fherea struggled to find the proper words to apologize. It was something she almost never did to anyone, so now she felt completely out of her depth; so despite of trying to say something clumsy or even stupid, she just hugged Ahiyah, trying to tell everything with that simple but immensely meaningful gesture.

Ahiyah hugged her back after a while, he even snuggled closer to her; Sith or not, he definitely liked physical contact.

“If you’re really willing to do that for me, then I feel honored to be your fake consort” he murmured, and it made both of them giggle.

They were silent again for a while, then the always curious Ahiyah came up with another question.

“How is this… marriage-thing going with the Sith? How does it look like?” he asked, nibbling on some chocolate bar Fherea gave him because she didn’t like it.

“Marriage? Are you such a long-term planner?” Fherea chuckled, trying not to melt by the sight of the curled up, pillow-hugger Ahiyah who gave in to his sweet tooth completely right now. The prominent lack of the Sith eye colour just made the scene more adorable. “But to answer the question, they’re mostly based on power and greed, not on love or even mutual liking of one another. And they’re often arranged.”

“And you don’t want that" Ahiyah said quietly when he saw her jaw tighten as she gritted her teeth.

“Even the thought makes me sick…” Fherea admitted, choking on the words a bit; letting someone know, even if he was her friend, that she was afraid of something was unacceptable from a warrior. And she’d done just that.

Meanwhile, Ahiyah got up without a word and putting aside his chocolate, he stepped to her, stroking her back comfortingly.

“If it’s within my power, I won’t let it happen to you" he promised with Sith-like, cold determination; still, his gesture and motivation were so pure Fherea had trouble with swallowing the lump in her throat for a moment.

“I fear it doesn’t work like this" she whispered, looking up at him.

“But me being even the fake consort of yours would protect you?”

“Well, it’d definitely shut up my father for a while… Or not, since you’re… you’ve come from slavery. I don’t know. But I chose you. It must be enough.”

Ahiyah nodded and stepped even closer; then he simply tried to kiss her. She instinctively stumbled back, confusion and irritation filling her.

“What the hell are you doing?!” she demanded, her fury growing when she saw him grinning.

“Sorry, I just thought that if we’re to be a pair, then we should try to act like it.”

That cooled her emotions; he was right. It was about deception, and they had to present a perfect performance to make even the scary Sith Lords believe them. So she took a deep breath and when he tried it again, she let the kiss happen.

And it felt oh-so-good, even with the lingering taste of the chocolate Ahiyah had eaten not long ago. She again let her instincts to take control, however, now these instincts told her to snuggle as close to him as she could, hold him tight and never let him go. She returned the kiss with the passion of a true Sith warrior and buried her hands into the silky, dark crimson mess of his hair, gripping it almost painfully. She barely felt the stings of his short beard as she quickly took the lead and kissed him harder and deeper. She’d found him attractive and desirable almost from the moment she saw him in the cantina; now, these more or less suppressed feelings and wants broke free and they were intent to wreak havoc on her common sense.

“Wai-wait, wait…!” Ahiyah gasped when they finally broke the kiss in need of air, and she attacked his T-shirt.

“What?” she asked impatiently, hungrily taking in the sight of his flushed face, swollen lips and the gorgeous mess of his hair.

“Are you absolutely sure you want this?”

 

Without further hesitation, Fherea stripped him of his T-shirt and threw it across the room. Then she pushed Ahiyah to the table, forcing him to lie prone on it. She leaned tight against his throbbing manhood to kiss his neck right under his ear, so slowly that it was almost unbearable.

“What does this imply to you?” she whispered hoarsely as Ahiyah’s body went into a quick spasm under her breath.

He drew back his head, enjoying the fervent, hot lips and teeth tearing him apart while one of his hands was seeking a way to unfasten Fherea’s underwear. When he released her from the unnecessary clothing, his fingers ventured into her shirt in search of her shapely breasts. She answered his gentle touch with a long-drawn moan, and rocked her waist against his groin to encourage him for more. At this point, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Out of blue, he pushed himself from the table and picked Fherea up by her thighs, interrupting her in leaving further love bites on his skin. Of course, the domineering Sith lady didn’t fully agree with him, which she communicated with biting into Ahiyah’s lower lip. It caused him casting a painful hiss, but didn’t prevent him from going along with his plan. Most women Ahiyah had shared his bed with underestimated his strength and prowess because of his slender figure, but make no mistake: he was sweet on streets, but a Sith in sheets. And now, it was Fherea’s turn to make that observation.

Gaining several nail marks on his back, Ahiyah finally dragged the other Sith to the nearest sofa. There, he attentively placed her amongst the fluffy pillows, although Fherea seemed to be fond of his temporary roughness. After all, she wasn’t a fragile figure either. In the next moment, she’d already led a literal assault against his pants like a maniac. There was something endearing about her stormy, red-dyed hair and the black mascara all over her smooth cheeks, combined with her moist, grinning lips. Not to mention her body, fit and captivating from long hours of martial practise. Apparently, she was quite vocal about expressing her mounting excitement as he tasted her passionately swelling nipples. She invited the wet shapes Ahiyah was drawing on her breasts with moans so loud, they caused the walls trembling. Then Ahiyah gave away to the devouring rush of desire and pressed his cock, hard as stone, against Fherea’s thigh over and over again.

They were rocking in this lustful embrace for precious long moments, as if they were carried by waves, when Fherea shoved her hand into the small gap between their bodies and grabbed Ahiyah’s manhood. Stunned by the sudden wave of pleasure overwhelming him, he casted a hushed groan and let Fherea appeal to his seemingly unquenchable desire. Her lips felt scorching now against his skin as he was trembling in the arms of the other. The maelstrom of emotions, tossing and turning him on its whim, led to vulnerability against Fherea’s attempts to gain the upper hand. Thus Ahiyah didn’t even realize she turned him on his back. Lips curled up in a bewitching smile, Fherea crawled between his legs and devoured his phallus.

Indescribable euforia washed over the Sorcerer, draining his body of all blood and concentrating it to single, crucial point. The grasp of her lips and the frequent licks on his genitals maddened him greatly. It wouldn’t last long, he knew it. And Fherea deserved more than watching him ejakulate, completely unsatisfied. So he caressed her cheek tenderly which caught the other’s attention.

“I want you, Fherea.” His voice felt as sweet as the delicious Alderaanian chocolate in her mouth; she just couldn’t resist him. “I want you so bad.”

Somehow she understood all too well what Ahiyah had referred to. She arched her back and sat on top of him, directing his phallus into herself. Normally he didn’t allow his one-night partners to topple him, as if they were dominating him in a manner he loathed with indescribable intensity, but Fherea was different. Just... different; he couldn’t elaborate on that, not even if he intended to. But he didn’t. An unreasonable sense of safety wrapped around him in the form of two delicate legs as Fherea was riding him. Ahiyah’s passionate touches on her stark naked body, encased in sweat and scorching desire, culminated in increasingly rapid movements. At that moment, her legs squeezed him tight as she let out a relieved cry, panting. And Ahiyah knew his time had finally come.

In mere seconds, the pressure seizing him from under was gone. Nothing he could do but gasping for air as satisfaction spread across his features.


	2. Chapter 2

Roughly half an hour later, they were cuddling on the comfortable couch, Fherea snuggled tight to Ahiyah, and the Sorcerer curling around her, cocooning her securely in the warmth of his own body. They were too tired and content to be bothered with finding the blanket. It was there somewhere, but neither of them felt even the slightest of motivation to search for it, so now it was Ahiyah’s task to keep Fherea warm; and he pretty much liked it.

“What’s on your mind?” she asked, running her fingers through his messy hair gently; it made both of them happy. Ahiyah loved physical contact, it soothed him, and Fherea was madly in love with that silky, dark crimson mane.

“Right now… the blissful nothingness” he murmured, his voice a deep purr from such a small distance; Fherea even felt the vibration of his vocal cords as she slid her hand along his neck, which movement earned her a content sigh from him.

 _He’s like a cat. A huge, deadly, red cat_ , she thought, and it made her smile.

“What’re ya smiling about…?” he inquired, tugging at her hair sleepily.

“Well… I know you hate to hear it, but right now, you’re the very definition of ‘cute’” Fherea grinned, returning the tugging.

A growl, then Ahiyah leaned closer, biting her lower lip playfully.

“I’ve told you already: I’m not cute. I’m deadly.”

“How about deadly cute?”

“You really like to live dangerously, eh?” the Sorcerer muttered, slightly threateningly; but he wasn’t in the mood to really act on this threat. He didn’t want to give up the warmth and safety he currently shared with Fherea.

Soon both of them were fast asleep, only to be awaken by the chirping of Fherea’s personal holocommunicator.

“It’s okay, sleep back. Sleep” she whispered to the confusedly blinking Ahiyah, supporting her touch on his face with a gentle Force-suggestion to help him falling asleep again.

Only after she was sure he slept back completely, Fherea left the room to answer the call, more or less expecting her Hutt-like master Baras to be the intruder. It wasn’t below Dark Side Piggy Pie to trouble her in the middle of the night. However, to her surprise, it was her father, Lord Skarr, who didn’t waste his time with greetings or pleasantries.

“Tomorrow evening, you are to be expected at a family gathering. I’ve heard some… unsettling news about the company in which you’re spending your time. I want an explanation, young lady” the miniature hologram of Lord Skarr demanded, his tone as grave as if she’d killed his favourite kath hound.

Fherea was wiser than to oppose him directly, so she just nodded, acknowledging the summon, although, she really wasn’t in the mood for her father’s self-importance. And she understood what he didn’t say: that she was expected to take Ahiyah with her; and she wasn’t completely sure that her Sorcerer would survive this meeting.

 

“Understood, my lord” she replied, concealing her unrest with a detached expression. She despised calling her father in such a way. “Is there anything else you wish of me?”

“No, that was all. I recommend you and your... _consort_ to present yourselves on time.” Even though his entire face was covered with an ebony mask, lined with red stripes and abstract patterns, Fherea could see the sheer disgust twisting the ragged features of the Sith Lord. “For your own sake, my daughter, it would be most appropriate to respect the rules for a change.”

Her fingers tightening their clutch on the device, Fherea could barely kept herself from rolling her eyes in annoyance.

“As you wish, my lord.”

“Good. Skarr out.”

From one moment to the other, the walls began closing in around her, aiming at her neck. But she couldn’t afford anything resembling to desperate panic. The only thing that prevented her from smashing the holocommunicator on the floor was Ahiyah’s drowsy touch on her shoulder.

“It seems we’re busted” he whispered, resigned.

“So we are.” Fherea couldn’t possibly describe what an incompetent fool she’d been. She should’ve known… she should’ve known Lord Skarr had someone to monitor them. Maybe they’d been being watched all along; even now. And it angered Fherea more than ever. “But we’ll turn it to our advantage.”

Ahiyah hummed approvingly, although she felt anxiety and turmoil rippling down in him head to feet.

“I believe you, Fherea. You’re a fodder for great ideas.”

Warmth rose to her cheeks as she looked Ahiyah in the eye, trusting.

“I know. And I know you’ll follow me to the ends of the galaxy.”

 

“That’s quite the distance… And I don’t even have an own speeder” Ahiyah said, sporting a serious expression that made Fherea chuckle despite the dire situation they were in.

“You’d figure something out” she winked, and he smiled back.

However, the smile was short-lived; his thoughts quickly returned to the ordeal ahead of them.

“What do you think, would your father try to kill me on sight?” he asked, and it was just partly a joke.

“Right on sight… definitely not. Although, I can’t guarantee for any later time.”

“Encouraging. Any advice how to make this time the latest possible?”

“Never, ever question his authority; he surely won’t tolerate it from you” Fherea said promptly, however, she hated it; but she didn’t want Ahiyah to endanger his life with some stupid comment. “Don’t worry; we’ll figure it out.”

Much sooner than they would’ve liked it, the two young Sith were on their way to Lord Skarr’s stronghold. It was much like Fherea’s own apartment building, however, bigger and more heavily armed, with turrets and even guards at the gate.

“Nice little estate…” Ahiyah muttered as they walked through the gate between the guards, hand in hand.

The guards wore a helmet so Fherea didn’t saw their faces, but she was sure they were staring at them disapprovingly. It just made her hold Ahiyah’s hand more firmly, and he returned the squeeze with an encouraging one of his own. She glanced at him and caught his quick smile beneath the hood of his robe. He looked simply stunning in his formal Inquisitor uniform he decided to wear. It was black, with a delicate decoration of dark purple Sith symbols and runes on the lower robe and on the heavy sleeves of his tunic. The robe was also black, and thick and warm against the winter chill; Fherea had already begun plotting how to get that robe and use it as her new favourite blanket.

Soon, they found themselves in the spacious, lavishly decorated hall of Lord Skarr’s stronghold, where three people were waiting for them, the masked Sith Lord Skarr, an elegantly dressed, dark-haired woman in her mid-forties and a tall, muscular, blonde young man in his twenties. From his gear Ahiyah instantly knew that he was a Warrior like Fherea, and from the twitch of her hand in his, he guessed she’d recognized him; and she wasn’t happy about it.

“Welcome, Inquisitor” Lord Skarr said, however, his voice was laced with well hidden contempt; but Ahiyah knew it was there. “What is your name?”

“I’m Ahiyah… my lord” he answered, pushing back his hood, and even managed a bow; it made his stomach churn with disgust, but he didn’t want to cause trouble to Fherea, and she explained it clearly what was expected from them on this occasion. “It’s nice to meet you.”

Skarr huffed disapprovingly but did nothing else. He gestured toward the woman, introducing her to Ahiyah.

“This is my wife, Rebekha” he said with barely more than zero interest; although, it didn’t seem to bother the woman.

She smiled at the pair of Ahiyah and her daughter, and he found himself smiling back at her. Now he understood where Fherea got her beauty from. The woman was small, around 160 cm, but her body was still a warrior’s: slender, lithe and strong. Her dark blue dress just made her perfect form more noticeable. Fherea was taller than her mother, but not a bit less pretty.

“My pleasure, milady” Ahiyah said, and now the bow came a bit more easily; Rebekha didn’t seem, and felt, evil at all.

Fherea almost saw his father’s face spasm hearing the ‘lowlife’ pronunciation of the title, but she found it endearing; Ahiyah was nothing like a true, self-important and arrogant Sith was, and she considered it as his most attractive feature.

“You’re Lord Zash’s pet slave, aren’t you?” the blonde Warrior asked with unmistakable disgust and contempt, and Ahiyah instantly tensed.

“I’m her _apprentice_ , yes” he said, his voice clearly threatening. “Whose little pet are _you_?”

 

“Lucius Corwynn, second heir to House Corwynn and first-class apprentice to Darth Marr of the Dark Council” the blonde answered, shamelessly grinning at the pair. “Any other questions, slave?”

Fherea could hardly resist the urging need to kick Lucius’ arrogant ass out of the window behind him. His boldness didn’t give her much room to ponder, though: Darth Marr was a well-known and powerful Sith Lord who trained several apprentices simultaneously. Obviously, the Sith can’t walk into the same room without a fleeting thought on eliminating their potential rivals. The fact Lucius was still alive meant he’d grown in power since the last time Fherea had faced him. Still, she couldn’t fathom what her father had seen in him.

“No need” Ahiyah assured him with a grave expression.

He didn’t even try to conceal his fury; the other and more powerful Sith would get wind of his mood anyway. Seemingly, this Lucius enjoyed bathing in his own smugness way too much, and Ahiyah expected him to cause trouble if someone deprived him of this joy. And he would gladly apply for the job.

“And how fares the young lady of House Tir-tego?” Lucius asked, fixating on Fherea as if he was about to devour her with his gaze. Unnecessary to mention, but the latter found Lucius’ pretended formality and uptight manner particularly sickening. In private, he sounded just like a bad-mouthed bounty hunter from the oozing cesspits of Hutta. “What is her business with this lowly slave?”

“Why, he is my betrothed” Fherea blunted with a mocking half-grin stretching on her lips.

“I beg your pardon?” Lord Skarr interrupted his younger counterpart.

“My fiancé, _father_.”

The mask of decorum was shattering on Lucius’ face as his eyes bludgeoned out of their sockets.

“What?! But I was promised to–”

“Silence” the Sith Lord snarled, his anger filling the room with a raw outburst of the Force. His legs sprung into motion as if he intended to grasp Lucius by his neck for his insolence, but he seemed to have changed his mind and laid back. “I did not give you permission to speak. Does my daughter claim the truth, Inquisitor?”

Ahiyah drew strength from Fherea’s boldness and raised his chin as proud as he’d never been before.

“Every single word of hers is true, my lord.”

 

Before anyone could’ve said anything else, Lucius jumped at Ahiyah, activating his lightsaber to cut the ‘impertinent slave’ down. Most unfortunately for him, the Sorcerer expected this from the very beginning of this gathering, given how Fherea reacted to him earlier. He saw that she reached for her lightsaber as well, but Ahiyah was faster: he released a storm of lightning bolts from his hand, hitting the blonde right in the chest.

Lucius screamed as unspeakable pain wrecked his convulsing body, but Ahiyah had no intention at all to let him go. He wasn’t a slave anymore, not of Zash or anyone else’s, and he wanted to make this absolutely clear. If it required him to make some toast, then so be it; and Fherea watched it with obvious delight.

“I’m not a slave of anyone, and I won’t ever be” he stated, voice utterly calm, when he finally stopped channelling the dark energy.

Lucius’ body was unrecognizable: just a pile of smoking, blackened bones and some terribly stinking meat. For a long time, no one uttered a word.

 

The lord of the house was the first to comment on the unexpected situation.

“Fool” he buried his masked face into his hand irritatedly. Rebekha was staring at her husband with a typical ‘told you so’ look until Lord Skarr activated his holocommunicator. “Service droids to the main hall, immediately.”

Meanwhile, Fherea exchanged mirthful glances with Ahiyah, who couldn’t possibly ignore the tremendous waves of positive energy radiating from her body. It came to him like she was so grateful she could kiss him right then and there.

“Well, that was quite a display of _true_ power, young man” Rebekha clapped her hands together with a pleasant smile. “Why don’t you stay with us for dinner? Were it not for our basic needs to replenish ourselves, time would flee without a single notice. Isn’t that right, my lord?”

Again, Rebekha turned to her husband, but now with a meaningful look.

“Yes, it is” he added wryly. “The dinner will be prepared and served in due time. Until then, let us retreat to the dining hall.”

 

Fherea and her Sorcerer followed the lord and lady of the house while the droids did their best to clean up the mess Ahiyah had left there.

“Thank you” Fherea whispered into his ear as she danced closer and grabbed his hand; she was indeed in a merry mood.

“The pleasure’s mine” he smiled back and kissed her cheek quickly; he just loved seeing her happy.

The dining room was huge, like it was serving as a meeting spot for at least a dozen Sith at a time, not just as a place for a small family to eat; Ahiyah suspected that the hall had indeed seen more than a few Sith already, plotting who knew what. The Sorcerer waited until the ladies sat, only then he took a place as well, however, he didn’t give up the right to be near to Fherea.

Lord Skarr radiated waves of irritation and even nervousness. Ahiyah couldn’t blame him. He was hiding someone who murdered a Dark Council member’s apprentice in cold blood in his own house; this fact would have made any Sith Lord sick with anxiety.

Ahiyah would’ve offered to leave, he wanted to leave, to be honest, but he knew he couldn’t make the slightest of the impression of retreat or cowardice. If he wanted Skarr to respect him, he had to earn it, displaying indisputable power. So he sat, smiled as sinisterly as he could, and kept up a pleasant chit-chat with Rebekha; he found Fherea’s mother both nice and intelligent.

“Sorry for the question, Ahiyah, but since I know that my daughter has cosmetics to thank for her hair colour, I must ask… Is your hair colour natural?” Rebekha asked, and Ahiyah choked on his cup of water as he tried his best not to laugh; it seemed that this family’s female members had a particular interest in his hair, and it felt strangely heart-warming.

“Yes, completely natural” he answered, pushing back the messy strands from his face. “Fherea likes it pretty much.”

Lord Skarr let out a voice somewhere between a snort and a groan but wisely decided not to participate in that conversation further. His wife handled it perfectly, and he needed time to figure out how to smother up this whole business with Lucius anyway. Darth Marr wasn’t particularly fond of this one of his apprentices, he also knew that Lucius was an idiot, after all, but Skarr was sure that his death would be a matter of honour to the Dark Council member, should he knew about its real circumstances. Skarr had to make Darth Marr believe Lucius had never been here in the first place, but it was much easier said than done. Deception was one of the foundation-stones of the Sith society, but lying to a Dark Council member was a whole new level.

By the time the dinner was served, Ahiyah could’ve eaten a whole Yozusk. Before this family meeting, he was so nervous he couldn’t make himself to eat even his favourite brownie, and killing Lucius used up much of his energy. He needed something to refuel.

“Thank you, milady” he said, barely holding himself back from drooling as Rebekha put the bowl full of stew before him, then he began eating with such an obvious pleasure that even Skarr raised a curious eyebrow beneath his mask.

 _The boy has the appetite of Lord Baras_ , he thought, not without any contempt, and he just hoped the Sorcerer wouldn’t end up like the corpulent Sith.

“Come, my daughter, I need to speak with you in private” Lord Skarr said at the end of the dinner. “I’m sure your… consort can wait a few minutes alone here.”

“Yes, my lord” Fherea answered, pretty relieved that the dinner didn’t end in a complete disaster; yet. “What do you wish of me?”

The lord and his daughter retreated into the former’s office, where Skarr turned to face Fherea and began talking.

“I need you and your boyfriend to get off planet for a while” he said without any preface, as usual. “Both of us know that Lucius is a good riddance, but I can guarantee that Darth Marr won’t see it that way, should he ever find out what happened. I shall try to make sure he won’t find out, but for this I need you not to make my job harder.”

“And what do you have in mind, where should we go?” Fherea asked, not at all surprised; she was sure Skarr would try to get rid of them after this incident.

“I leave it to you, but stay under the Dark Council’s radar until I say otherwise. Understood?”

“Yes, my lord” she nodded, already having a plan formulating in her mind. “We’ll depart with the first light of dawn.”

“Good.”

Fherea left her father’s office and gathered Ahiyah from the kitchen, where Rebekha fed him with some leftover cookies as they chatted and laughed at something Ahiyah was telling her. The picture of her mother and her dearest friend talking and laughing together was so utterly normal, and so much something she knew was impossible to have that it made her heart squeeze painfully. Being a Sith wasn’t always a good thing, she decided.

“Come, I’m afraid we’ve used up my father’s welcome” she said to him quietly as she touched his arm to get his attention.

Ahiyah turned to her and nodded, understanding in his deep blue eyes.

“I get my robe, just a moment” he replied and went to act on it. “Thank you for everything, milady” he smiled at Rebekha, who returned the gesture wholeheartedly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ahiyah.”

A few minutes later they were already walking down the path that led away from Lord Skarr’s stronghold, hand in hand and in grim silence. None of them spoke until they got back to Fherea’s apartment. They barely stepped inside when Fherea threw herself into the Sorcerer’s arms, hugging him tight and hiding her face into his warm, soft robe; she just needed the contact right now.

“Your father’s sent you away, right?” Ahiyah asked, holding her close.

“Not just me. You as well. You have to come with me or he’ll surely find a way to destroy you.”

“What a surprise… And where do you want to go?”

Fherea let out a sinister chuckle.

“Well, I’ve got an idea” she admitted.

“Another big surprise…”

“We should go back to Korriban” she said, grinning at his tease. “There are those tombs with so many secrets and knowledge… What about getting it for ourselves? And I’m pretty sure no one would look for us in the heart of Sith space. Everyone would think we’ve fled to the other end of the Galaxy.”

Ahiyah thought it over, but he had to admit that her logic was solid; and he had some unfinished business on Korriban, anyway.

“Alright, I’m in, but on two conditions.”

“I’m all ears.”

“One, we have to find a way to eliminate Harkun… He’s the reason for half of my recurring nightmares, and I want to pay back to him for this hospitality. And two, we have to find someone who can get us to Korriban completely unnoticed. We can’t risk being exposed because we’re using an Imperial ship.”

“You mean we should find a smuggler, or something like that?”

“Exactly” Ahiyah nodded.

“Well, then go and pack your things. I think I know just the right person for this job” Fherea grinned, already reaching for her holocommunicator.

An hour later Ahiyah tried to get rid of the menacing images in his head about pursuing Sith fighters as they left Dromund Kaas’ atmosphere onboard of an old freighter. He didn’t know when he could return, if ever, but he wasn’t so sure he even wanted to return. He didn’t have any idea what could wait for him out there, but as long as Fherea was with him, he was ready to face anything.

He finally fell asleep, watching the rippling blue of hyperspace and thinking about a better life.

**The End**


End file.
